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However I've been looking around since I've been home and seems like there are a lot of produce shippers or middlemen around here. I always wondered why there is no freight coming out of here if Florida is the gateway to Latin America and all the produce down there. Now they are talking about expanding the port in Ft. Lauderdale.

Come to find out there are large produce warehouses all around me; even a building I've driven past 1,000 times that I never paid attention to had a sign that it was a tomatoe place that had now moved 15 minutes up the road.

I went over to the State Farmers Market the other day and seemed like a lot of stuff going on. And today I called a broker and got a load out to the Midwest for about $1.30 a mile. (I booked early and am hoping to hell it doesn't get cancelled.). And to be honest I asked for more after she told me the rate.

And then as I wrote earlier I called a shipper direct and seemed like he was going to give me a load. Mind you I checked the load boards and there was nothing but I don't think the loads down here make it to the boards.

chuckle chuckle. I like the way you think Merrick. You'll do fine as a carrier.

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Originally Posted by rank

chuckle chuckle. I like the way you think Merrick. You'll do fine as a carrier.

I appreciate that Rank. I know I overthink everything and second guess it all but I was thinking today that I only hauled my first load as an O/O just over 4 months ago and a year ago today I was in a truck with a trainer. So things are moving along but still I am only at the beginning and have a LONG road ahead. But they say it's not the destination but the journey that matters. Thanks again though I appreciate it.

Don't be so hard on yourself, Merrick. It takes time to learn any business.

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Originally Posted by merrick4

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Originally Posted by rank

chuckle chuckle. I like the way you think Merrick. You'll do fine as a carrier.

Merrick- you have done what some drivers never do in life, take the plunge to be totally independent in trucking. My hat goes off to you. Who is the tomato warehouse near your home?

It takes time to contact and build shipper relationships. Once you get a foot in the door, it is important to build on that relationship. Most shippers with whom I talk prefer doing business directly with a carrier. If you find a shipper who is willing to work with you, then you could find that you will be able to maintain that relationship even if they are currently doing most of their business through one or more brokers. I find that some shippers feel that brokers with whom they deal are ripping them and carriers off. If a broker asks you to not discuss the rate you get from them, there is a good chance the broker is ripping you off and keeping a much larger share of the revenue than he really should. He doesn't want the shipper to know how much money he is making. Most business is about relationships. A lower price may sway some, but if there is a strong personal relationship and shippers know they can rely on you then they may stay with you even though a broker promises a cheaper price.

I had a shipper to stay with me because they found that a broker with whom they dealt was taking 30% or more of the rate. The only way they would do business with that broker is if they had a shipment that absolutely had to move and I or another carrier couldn't move it for them. Most of the time the shipper would put off the receiver until I could take the load. I usually got $2.50-3.00 mile to haul for this shipper. I had a broker offer me a similar load for $1.50 coming out of the same area.